Kyuusaisha No Ketsueki
by Somerandomuser
Summary: Rated for violence and Yaoi/slash in later chapters. Five years after the Fourth Hokage perishes, the Fourth Kazekage sends countless children into exile. The Third Hokage comes to the rescue, forever changing the life of a Leaf child and a Sand child.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

**Author's Note:** I have not abandoned The Frayed Ends of Sanity. This is an idea that has been bouncing around forcefully in my head for a day or so now. For those who have read The Frayed Ends of Sanity and Family Ties, Naruto's FATHER in that story is being used in this story too as it is Canon. HOWEVER, his mother is not the same woman who I set it as in the other story. For those who haven't and wouldn't otherwise, do not bother, it's not really worth it just to understand one rambling Author's Note. But feel free to read the story anyway!

* * *

"Hokage-sama?"

The third looked up from the couch where he sat, his hand resting lightly on the side of the head of the child laying on the couch beside him. A hand reassuringly atop the blonde hair of the sleeping child. "Yes, Asuma?"

"Kakashi has arrived with the prisoner. He is a missing-nin from Sunagakure. Pa-kun says the prisoner claims he was coming to Konoha to deliver a message, and that he was attacked trying to escape the city. He is badly wounded, too, which supports this. Kakashi has had to carry him, thus the reason for the delay. Gai will meet them at the gates and secure the prisoner so that Kakashi can bring you his report without having to carry him. Kakashi should be here within minutes."

The man reached into his pocket and withdrew another smoke. "The man's story is disturbing, tosan."

"I see," the third said, looking down into the face of the blonde child, sadly. "It seems the ally we thought we had gained is moving. The question is, are they moving against us?" There was a pause. "Thank you, Asuma." He gazed at the man, so young but so very drawn. "You're ordered to take the day off and sleep, sochi."

Asuma frowned slightly. His students would dislike it, but he knew it was a necessary thing. He had been at the border for a week, since the news of a missing-nin from Sunaga heading toward Konoha had reached the village. The one day he had finally taken off and allowed Kakashi to take his spot, the nin had showed up. "Understood." Asuma turned and went his separate ways with his father.

As the room descended into silence, he looked down at the child beside him. "This will not be in vain. It will not. I promised him… I promised him. The Hero of the Leaf Village; that is what you are to be."

There was no answer, of course, and that was how it should be, it would be better if the child knew nothing. The village adults were mistreating him, instead of treating him as a hero as the Fourth told them he swore they must, they feared and hated. "Uzumaki Naruto, I believe I have failed."

The door opened then. First came Maito Gai, carefully leading a man dressed in a thin robe the color of sandblasted canvas. His face was drawn worse than Asuma's or even the Third's, his eyes dulled and glazed over. Kakashi followed, barely showing any sign of strain for having carried a man form the border to the gates of Konoha.

"Hitamori Isamu."

"Hokage-sama," breathed the man, motioning to Gai that he could stand. Gai released him. He immediately fell to his knees. "Gomen, I guess I cannot yet stand."

"Go on, and please explain to me why I am risking war on my country by housing a missing-nin." The man flinched, still on his knees. When he opened his eyes again, the Third understood many things. The eyes could tell you many things. "Wait." The man froze, as if afraid his death had been ordered. "Gai, quickly. Bring two medical squads and the attending Top Med at the hospital. His liver is failing. Kakashi, get him into the chair," he gestured to the chair on the other side of Naruto's sleeping form. "Jauntice," he explained to Gai, before the man rushed out of the room.

With the jounin's help, Isamu found himself sitting in a plush enough chair, having just noticed the child on the couch. "It is… safe to speak around him? This is a very… disturbing thing."

The Third nodded to his guest, his prisoner. "This child will likely not awaken for hours. A foul day has exhausted him. You can speak freely."

"Kazekage-sama has gone mad."

"Choose your words wisely," Kakashi advised. "We are allies with your Kazekage."

"Currently," the Third said. "Depending on what you say."

As the medical ninja arrived, he man opened his mouth.

What spilled forth from it is something that changed many, many things.

_He was quiet, mindful, watchful. He was exactly how he was supposed to be. The fact that he had this honor, even for one single day was something so strange, so unheard of that his family was rising to fame even now, two hours after he had been recruited to accompany the Kazekage's guard from his home to his office. A Chuunin, allowed in the Kazekage's guard? Unheard of. Especially when the Chuunin was only seventeen. _

_The Kazekage was under intense stress with the food shortage and the minor rebellion he had had to squelch. He demanded silence from his guards at all times. _

_Of course this silence allowed others to listen. _

_"So which will it be?" _

_"Kankurou," The Kazekage said definitely. "He is the best choice, and who knows, he may even survive the desert." _

_"I do not know how I feel about this," Baki replied, looking away._

_"We have no choice, Baki. Each family will send one child into exile." The rest of the guard didn't even react to this, and Isamu had to fight to show no emotion and not show that his heart rate had picked up dramatically._

_"And the families with only one child?" Baki asked. _

_"They will have none, and until I say otherwise, any child born will be euthanized." _

"Stop," the Third stated, brushing aside the medical ninja who had been kneeling in front of Isamu repairing the damage to his liver from a poison, and the other one who had been drawing it out of his system—using a rare technique indeed, Tsunade had only found one student thusfar who could learn that, and had dismissed her directly after—and motioned to the man to pay attention to him. "You're telling me that the Kazekage is exiling children and has ordered infanticide to any born after?"

"He will begin tomorrow," the Chuunin, still a child himself in all technicality, said. "I cannot serve a killer of children," he said, bowing his head. "I beg of you to help them.' The Third motioned to the medical ninja to stop the Chuunin, who had moved to kneel before the Third.

"Silence, speak no more. Stress yourself no more. Gai, find this man a bed in the hospital, and then a room in town, then return here." Gai nodded, throwing one of Isamu's arm's around his shoulder and hauling him to his feet carefully.

"We will finish your treatment at the hospital," one of the medical ninja informed him. "A nurse will settle you in. Your immediate danger has passed."

"Arigato," he replied bowing his head to her, and then saluting the Hokage very weakly before being led out, the Med ninja in tow.

The Third gave a sigh, a sign of weakness few were allowed to see. The student of his student was his student, though. "Kakashi. Get Asuma, tell him I apologize for stealing his day off. Also retrieve Kurenai, and call in the ANBU leaders," he placed his hands together. "Have them gather here."

Then he paused. "Kakashi."

"Yes, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi had sensed this continuation, and had yet to move from his spot.

"I mean all of ANBU. Even Danzou."

"Understood," with a light salute, he leapt from the window to his left.

"That Kakashi," the Third said. "Never uses a door, just like his master." He turned and gazed at the child beside him. Standing he reached up and found a throw on the back of the couch, which he covered Naruto with to his chin.

He shut and locked the door to the outside, shut the windows and then turned the lights out, opening the door that adjoined this room to his office. "Goodnight, Hero of the Leaf Village." He shut the door behind him.

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	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

**Author's Note:** I'm not sure how I feel about this one. I just couldn't portray Gaara as accurately as I wanted to... but I think I hit somewhere on the target, even if there is no bullseye. It has come to my attention that I need to rephrase my author's note in the first chapter.

The woman who is the mother of Naruto in my other story, is in fact NOT Naruto's mother in this story. Now, his FATHER is the same.

* * *

_**Chapter one:**_

He kept his hands carefully folded on his desk as he gazed out. His right eye was on Danzou as he finished speaking. Danzou's right eye? Well, it was gone. His left was focused intently on the Third. "I see." He could see the man calculating, he knew that if the rumors were true, Danzou had been following the age-old Root ANBU tradition of training them young despite the official warning.. He knew when he requested Danzou's group's assistance that he was giving them access to a potentially crippling number of recruits.

So why was it that Danzou spoke these next words?

"We will not participate."

Without inquiring at all, he nodded. "Then you and yours are dismissed."

Danzou nodded and he and three others departed through the door. "So, we're launching a full scale rescue mission. Hundreds of children will be turned out into the desert. It will be up to you all to escort them to Konoha. We cannot leave innocent children to die." There was a general murmur of ascent, even from the masked portion of the crowd. "Those Jounin with teams of Chuunin will be in charge of their Chuunin while outside of the gates too."

He glanced at Kakashi, one of the few Jounin to look completely carefree at this statement. Frankly, he hadn't had a team in years.

"Dismissed."

"And that is why, from here on out any child born will be regrettably… slaughtered." There was a small outcry from somewhere in the crowd that was immediately stifled by a whole horde of ninja. "Not only that, each family who has a child or children under eighteen, will send one child out of the village. Anyone in noncompliance will be executed for treason."

There was only silence. This pleased him. "You have until midnight." With equal silence the crowd dispersed and the Kazekage turned, stepping through the balcony doors into his room. There stood three children; one, a tall blonde girl, another, a toned brunette with hair like his father's. The third was of no consequence, but could not be sent out. He would stick with his original choice. He turned his gaze on the brunette boy and nodded. Fear washed across the boy's face as he turned and walked from the room.

The Kazekage left the three children in the room alone, and walked into the hallway, to the last few seconds of his life. It was sudden, too sudden. A blur, the form of a child. Bright white, the sound of air rushing past him. The child was no older than five. "The name of Abumi Zaku will never be forgotten." Thus was born the legacy of the Sound Ninja's greatest soldier, Abumi Zaku, who was not yet even a Genin, a child, a boy who had agreed to go on his master's suicide mission, and would manage to succeed. The jutsu itself was hardly enough to kill a grown man. The blade that the Kazekage fell back on, held out by an assassin Zaku's master had hired which pierced his throat, however, was.

The pair escaped, whether by luck or other means, no one would ever know.

Naruto rolled over, and predictably connected with the ground, hard. Shaking his head he looked up, realizing he had just rolled off of the couch in the Hokage's quarters. The old man… Naruto owed him. His day came rushing back and he sunk back into a sitting position in the dark room. He brought his knees up to his chest and buried his face in them. He hated being who he was.

He hated it a lot.

Through the door, he heard the Third's voice.

"Yes Iruka?"

"Before I go, I need to speak to you about Naruto."

"Go on." Naruto scooted closer to hear. There was a pause as Iruka drew a breath and began his tale.

_"Everyone settle down," Iruka ordered, signing. There was no quieting these children down at all. "Fine, recess." _

_How quickly the group sped out of the room, for once in harmony, not arguing… yet. The first out was of course, Naruto. He was worried about the boy. He kept leaving class earlier and earlier, and try as Iruka's friends might, they could never find him to bring him back in before the day was out. The only time this was untrue, Kakashi, on leave from duty, had finally found Naruto in one of his hiding spots, weeping. _

_If this was why Naruto left every day, to deal with tears in solitude… it wasn't something Iruka could let go on. No matter who it was, he wouldn't' let it go on… but especially Naruto. He wandered out after the group. _

_What had been happening to Naruto the past few days became suddenly clear. The moment the room emptied out, Naruto stood alone. There were a grand total of three students who were now standing alone. Hyuuga Hinata and Uzumaki Naruto. Hinata, seemed peaceful enough about it, she wandered away in silence, contemplative. Naruto, however, was trying hard to become welcomed into a group. This was evident by the fact that he wandered around the playground twice, even attempting to talk to Haruno Sakura, who immediately brushed him off. _

_The third lonely student, was Uchiha Sasuke. He stood there, in his own world, deep in thought as he lined up with the tri-circles on the wall, a shuriken in each hand. Always the diligent worker. Usually students weren't allowed to practice with Shuriken until age eight, but… Sasuke had been granted the proper pass. Sakura, Ino, and Ami stood around with a couple girls from higher years, gathered around to watch Sasuke. _

_To his disappointment, even Shikamaru and Chouji turned Naruto away, though their reasoning was sound, and he could see Naruto agreed with it. Neither of them were going to do more than lay about and snack. Kiba had vanished somewhere, always up to mischief, just like Kouta. _

_And then, as Iruka watched from the shadows, Naruto stuck his hands in his pocket, and began the walk for the school's gates. Of course, that meant he had to walk between the group of girls and Sasuke. It happened pretty quickly. _

_"What do you want, loser?" Ino asked, drawing Sasuke's eye. _

_"Nothing from you, Ino-pig," shot back the blonde boy, sticking his tongue out childishly enough. _

_"Who do you think you are?" _

_"Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto proclaimed proudly. "And one day, you'll see. When I'm Hokage, you'll see!" _

_Ino snorted, most unladylike indeed. _

_The pink haired Sakura joined her in her mirth. Ami frowned but said nothing. _

_"Yeah right, like they'd ever let a dropout like you become a ninja, much less the Hokage." That struck a chord. It was well known that Naruto was actually a year older than his peers and had not been allowed to pass the year prior. Sasuke was certainly going for the tough spot. _

_Iruka wondered now what to expect. In the past, Naruto had been the type to stupidly proclaim his superiority before a fight broke out, which Iruka usually ended up breaking up. To his surprise, Naruto just tilted his head up, 'hmph'ing and walked past Sasuke, who turned back to his target with a pronounced 'tch.'_

Naruto frowned and turned away from the door.

"I found Naruto myself," the Third said. "He is in the adjoining room listening into our conversation, actually."

Naruto paled. He heard footsteps toward the door he was hiding behind and instead turned and bolted for the other door. So they couldn't find him? Good. He wanted to be alone. He didn't want to see the way people looked at him, not even Iruka. Most looked at him angrily, still others looked through him as if he didn't exist… Iruka and the old man were just as bad. They pitied him and made him feel as if things could be different, and believing that always lead to him being disappointed.

Yashamaru frowned as the body was taken from the building, and Baki stepped up beside him. "As the closest living relative to the children, you have inherited them." He covered the snarl with a frown. To inherit Kankurou and Temari were one thing…. "Kazekage-sama was going to send one of them out of the village now," Baki advised. "The duty falls to you. We will announce the Kazekage's death after it is done, and recommend you to take his position."

Yashamaru smiled briefly. "I will accept, of course."

"Kazekage-sama was going to send out—"

"Gaara," Yashamaru interrupted him, turning to the small redhead. "Leave."

The boy of four tilted his head up, eyes wide, full of grief. He had known it was coming, Nobody wanted to see his face. He knew his uncle would be tired of it too. Gaara nodded and turned away from his family, not seeing the look momentarily hitting his sister's face before she covered it up. Gaara did not stop moving until he had left the village. He didn't mind showing his tears. He was scary already, so if he cried, who cared?

His chest felt like it was ready to burst, a hand unconsciously straying to it to grasp his shirt. It didn't occur to the child that he was being left to die, that he didn't have food or water. He only know his uncle was kicking him out, and it was to be expected. His father had threatened to many times. Who would want someone like him around anyway? He was a monster, after all.

Shamefaced, crying, he joined a parade of children of all ages in the streets, heading toward the gates.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

**Author's Note:** I like this. Unlike Gaara, I do think Naruto would be this mature mentally. I also like Ichiraku so much, that I think it's time to introduce him to this story!

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**Chapter two:**

* * *

The Konoha Rescue Brigade arrived some four hours after the mass exodus, more than twenty-four hours after Naruto had run from the Third Hokage's quarters and disappeared entirely. Iruka was among those first on the scene, followed quickly by Kakashi and a series of ANBU Jounin. Gai followed behind them, leading up the rest of the group, including some Chuunin students and their Jounin masters.

Iruka saw infants and toddlers being held by teens who were desperately trying to keep it together. Several seemed angry, some others deeply sad. Children around him were crying. Children crying, tears… they tore into him. He reached out to the boy closest to him, a redheaded child that looked to be about four. The boy tilted his head up, his green eyes wide and familiar. They reminded him of the Third Kazekage's. He'd seen the man's picture. But it was the teary face, the tired eyes and scrawny look that made him pause.

This boy… looked just like Naruto in those aspects. "Hey," Iruka said, crouching. "We're here to take you guys out of the desert. We'll find you all nice homes, aright?"

The boy had been crying a lot, his face indicated. There was a trail of tears even now on the red face; in fact this child like many other young ones was nearly delirious with sadness. But there was something in those eyes… an intelligence, almost as if the child accepted what was happening. This twisted a knife in Iruka. How could he? That was impossible because what was happening was so wrong, so beyond understanding and acceptance. His arms opened without knowing, and the child—clutching what looked to be a small teddy bear—hesitated a moment before moving into the range of the embrace. The sand around him seemed to shudder and he almost, almost thought he saw some rise up as if to protect the boy.

And he was sure covered in it. When his arms encircled the child, he felt as if he were holding sand only. The poor kid needed a bath and some new clothing. Suddenly the form in his arms went limp and he frowned, hefting the child up into his arms. That was the other odd thing about the child. He had the look of dehydration that one shouldn't have until at least two or three days into the desert, and if their information was right it had only been about a day. Similarities to people he knew put aside, Iruka was suddenly worried. This was a priority case. Without another word he signed Kakashi and Gai. "This one needs medical attention, quickly!"

Kakashi nodded, and held out his arms. He was—of course—the quickest of them there, using _Kiroi Senkō no Jutsu. _This was a famous jutsu that most people it seemed didn't understand that Kakashi knew. He had received the Sharingan long before his sensei's death, after all. "No," Iruka said. "You'll be more useful here should things go awry. I'll take him back."

Kakashi nodded. This was something he understood about Iruka. To the younger man, this was a disaster of the worst kind, possibly worse than Kyuubi attacking Konoha. These were children in exile, in danger in the sands of the desert, a harsh and unforgiving mistress. He also saw the similarities between the redhead and Naruto, a boy Iruka had taken an intense interest in. Sad, drawn, under built, underfed, tired. Whenever he saw that boy and could look past his suspicions about his heritage—he'd prove it some day—these things bothered Kakashi. This child looked as if he hadn't slept… for a long… indeterminable amount of time. Iruka took off as Kakashi turned back to the task at hand, creating several shadow clones.

What else bothered him about the child was this: he had seen the boy's father and grandfather. There was no denying that this was a child of the Kazekage.

_I think the picture is falling into place… and it's not pretty._

* * *

Naruto frowned in his seat as he stared at the board. The substitute teach had given them the most BORING task to complete ever, and permitted no recess until the whole class had finished it. "Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto stood up and began to read aloud, glaring daggers at the teacher the whole time. It was his turn to recite the Shinobi Code. He was doing well, reading from the board until he reached number twenty-five. His voice caught in his throat. "Shinobi rule of conduct number twenty-five: A—" the teacher looked on at him expectantly. Suddenly, Naruto felt the eyes of the whole room on him, staring, judging, demanding… hating.

It began to build as he stood there, his mouth suddenly going dry and eyes growing wider by the moment. They knew… they knew why he left every day and they were judging him. He couldn't stand it. It took only seconds to get past the other two people in his row—Ami and Kiba— and into the middle isle, where he dashed out of the room, unable to control the scream.

"A Shinobi must keep emotions inside, no matter what the situation!"

His voice came quietly now even to his own ears as he ran, ran and ran. "You must make the mission top priority, and you must posses a heart that never… never shows tears."

The form sitting upon the roof of the Academy glanced down, long white hair cascading down around his face. The man stood gruffly. The kid was no concern to him, so why had he come looking when his sensei told him what tended to happen. For that matter, why was the child out earlier than usual?

And why recite that? Of course the blonde would show emotion. He wasn't a ninja; he was little more than a child.

Jiraiya frowned at the retreating form of the kid and shrugged. This was not his business. Curiosity now sated, he had to leave. Staying in Konoha for more than a few days usually ended badly, like… law suit badly. The stuck up kunoichi around here could rarely take a joke.

* * *

Naruto kneeled down in the dark place, whispering into his safety. The dark. He was not a ninja. The class he was in was the class BEHIND the year where you could first begin learning handseals and basic jutsu. Kiba knew handsigns and a couple basic jutsu from his father, and Sasuke could do incredible amounts of jutsu, but Naruto had no one to teach him. He would learn at the rate of the school, and if he got held back, that meant there was only another year he wouldn't be allowed to learn handseals. He couldn't be held back again, he knew it, but… he couldn't be in there. He just couldn't.

They all knew that he was weird, but he didn't know why. Why didn't anyone like him? He knew eventually, if he stayed too long—it had been eight hours already—he would be discovered in his hiding spot. He sat, of all places, in a small cavern at the base of the Hokages' Monument.

Naruto reached into his pocket, finding a few yen. He was—being an orphan who lived by himself for more hours of the day than naught—given money by the village funds. And it wasn't much. This meant that he had to find cheap food, but no matter where he went, cheap food always meant bad food, and that was only because wherever he went, the owner usually wanted him out.

As Naruto emerged from the cavern into the light of the afternoon, he shielded his eyes and walked. He walked quietly, sadly. He walked alone. His head stayed down, he had no need to see the eyes of the people who hated, feared or ignored him. Why? Why any of those things? What had he done to deserve it? Naruto's stomach finally got the better of him, as he turned. Half of him wanted to find the local store where the manager tolerated him enough to sell him food.

Naruto instead was taken by the smell. Ramen.

He looked up at the shop, it was new and he had never seen another shop up in town that looked or even smelled similar. He pushed aside the curtain as he entered, forgetting as only a child can that moments before he had been driven to hiding alone in a cave. Behind the counter was an older man with crow's-feet around his eyes and a young girl in her teenage years.

After an undignified struggle, he managed to get into a sitting position on one of the stools by the bar. It was then that the teenage girl turned and noticed him. "Tousan, look!"

The older man turned, and smiled… actually smiled at him.

Only two people had ever smiled at Naruto. The Third Hokage, who Naruto couldn't understand at all, and Iruka whose smile was laced with sadness.

This… this was a smile. "Oh look here! We've got our first customer!" The man was gray but looked strong for all other signs of age. "Welcome to Ichiraku's Ramen." Naruto reached into his pocket and pulled out a few yen.

That smile suddenly shifted, and slowly Naruto felt dread rise in him. Would he see hate? Fear? Disinterest? The man had obviously recognized him. "Put that away," Ichiraku said suddenly.

Naruto grimaced, wincing visibly and preparing to be chased out. "On the house." Naruto couldn't hide his surprise. The blonde was almost… overwhelmed. Had he really just heard what he thought he had? "And you'll be seeing me every day for the next month, and I won't hear a word against it or see a single coin until you're about three years older." Naruto frowned. This was too different. This was too confusing. What was happening here?

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto," he finally settled on saying.

"Nice to meet you," the girl said, as the man gruffly waved away Naruto's offer of money and turned away, confusing the boy. "And he's right. You look like you could use a good meal or two. Oh, and I'm Ichiraku Ayame." He smiled, shyly in response.

Here were people who were being nice to him and there was no one around for them to be trying to impress. Here was a kind but serious enough old man and a young woman who didn't seem to be judging him. He didn't question it, but he didn't understand it either. It _almost_ made him uncomfortable… but he suddenly felt… safe. It took only a couple of minutes for the bowl to be placed down in front of him. He knew he oculd never have bought this with his money. It was miso ramen with corn and leeks, ground beef and a single hard-boiled egg cut in half. He knew there was some garlic in there too, and overall it was so overwhelming that the smells themselves were awakening a beast within him.

Stomach roaring he took a pair of chopsticks from a containing next to him and broke them apart. "Itadakimasu!" By the time Ichiraku had finished cutting up an onion, he heard the sound of an empty bowl being sat onto the counter. He turned, more than a little shocked. For a boy that young who had eaten that fast, there was little to no mess.

"Want any more?"

"Thank you, but… I can't," he said. Full enough. Now, however, there came the matter of stepping back out into the street, something he didn't look forward to doing. "If… if it doesn't get too busy here, could I stay for just a little bit?"

Again, Ichiraku's face formed that frown, and Naruto worried that he had strayed too far over the lines of the man's hospitality. "Of course. Anything for our first customer."

Naruto's face brightened and he moved down to the stool on the end, content to sit quietly and watch the pair cook. Soon enough, their second and third customers came and went. It never got too full in there, not in all of the four hours Naruto spent watching, learning. By the end of the night, he had forgotten his own sadness, and actually managed to learn many aspects of cooking ramen as Ichiraku did. He certainly didn't know how to cook, but he could still understand things about it.

And the smell, even on a full stomach the smell left him wanting more.

When Ichiraku closed up shop for the night, Naruto stood, thanking him quietly.

"No," the old man said, turning away from the blonde. "Wait there."

And just like that, Naruto again felt nerves as the cook turned away from him. When the man handed him two covered bowls of ramen tied together by a cloth and told him to promise to bring the bowls back when he was done, Naruto all but froze. Could he? Should he? This showed something he just wasn't used to. Trust… and maybe even care.

"We won't take no for an answer," the girl advised. "Either of us."

"Al-alright," he took the bowls, balancing them as best as he could.

Ichiraku turned away from the scene, whispering to his daughter as he pretended to be cleaning the stove, attempting not to embarrass the boy.

"Arigato," Naruto finally said, before slipping out.

There was a moment or two of silence before the two began to actually clean.

Only seconds later it was broken by footsteps, and a wise voice. "Ichiraku-san, could I have a word?" At the voice, father and daughter turned.

"Hokage-sama," Ichiraku greeted, eyes widening from their squint. "It's an honor to have you here. We had closed for the night, but just wait, I'll have the stove fired up in a second."

Reaching over and laying his hand on the counter, the Third Hokage shook his head. "No." Ichiraku ceased speaking or turning. "You know who the boy is?"

Ichiraku nodded, his daughter did not, she pretended to ignore the situation by continuing to clean, but her eyes showed that she knew this situation all too well. "You know his story?"

Again, Ichiraku nodded, and now Ayame squeezed her eyes tightly. This was not a moment to think about _her_. The old man reached over the counter, lifting her head up to see eye to eye with his own. "You are a kind woman," he said. Then he turned, "and you a kind man. You now make up a very small handful of people. People who have shown kindness to Naruto. It numbers four with the addition of you to my knowledge, perhaps five, there is a young man named Shikamaru who occasionally attempts to befriend Naruto."

Ichiraku nodded calmly and silently again and accepted the Third's hand to shake.

It was only then that he saw the stool where Naruto had been sitting, and the small pile of coins on it. "Ayame, look!" He gestured to it.

"That brat," the girl sighed. "But I saw it coming."

As if completely understanding the situation the Third turned. "Naruto, having nothing is not stingy with what he does have. This is so different from people better off. He is meant to have known you two, I believe." The Hokage stepped out into the street. "And he will definitely be back," the veil shifted so the man could look back in. "You're the only shop that does not chase him out or nearly poison him from overcooking or undercooking."

Ichiraku, grim, well built for an older man, finally threw down his towel in disgust. "It's not right, he's a child. He didn't do any of this."

"I believe all here present are well aware of this," the Third Hokage commented almost airily. "Or else I would not be doing what I am right now." He reached into his robe and tossed a large bag onto the counter. "Call it an insurance policy, because I know there will be days when he will not be able to afford to eat in his life. I never want to see that from a child such as him. He has risked his life to ensure our own."

Ichiraku nodded, though didn't touch the bag. "I'd assumed such was the case when the decree was passed down, when we were told that it was in him. I recognized him immediately, just from descriptions. Scared, lonely, definitely hungry... Hokage-sama, I cannot accept this money."

"And why is that?" The Hokage still refused to come back into the shop.

"Because I would feed this child were he broke for the rest of my life, as would my daughter."

"And that is exactly why you have been given it. Consider it a donation to my favorite restaurant." As if to say that he was ending this conversation, the Third let the veil fall back into place and then disappeared around the corner.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Note:** I liked this chapter. I've done some thinking and I've decided the reason I'm writing Naruto as so mature is A, he's a ninja, and they probably train children to mature quickly. B, he's gone through a lot of heartache as a kid, so he matured fast, likely.

Gaara on the other hand, was kept locked away, little time or motivation to mature, to move past his security blanket, the bear... who I will have a name for soon! Hnnn. I think it'll work, and for anyone who says that they don't think the Third would leave them alone so soon after meeting each other, keep in mind that we frequently see the Third with that crystal ball watching things around town.

Next chapter Iruka returns to teach!

* * *

**Chapter three:**

* * *

It was a formal room, an office. "There's no denying it, that seal is very familiar to me for a reason. It's the same seal Chiyo taught on that inter-village medical convention before the Great War. It's the same seal that the Fourth based the one he made on." He faded slowly.

"He carries a Bijuu."

The room went dark.

For the child.

For Kakashi, the room remained much the same. Iruka stood, holding in his arms a child who was being attended to by medical ninja who were lessening the strain of the dehydration until the boy could have a solid place to stay and recover. The Third sat behind his desk, looking troubled. "Another Bijuu in Konoha… tell me, how is the seal?"

"It is fine. It is solid. The seal is integrated into his cerebrum, which explains something. The boy is covered by a layer of chakra infused sand, it protects him. I believe it taps into his subconscious so it would seem to him that it protects him of his own free will. It acts out his will at his thought. This explains something that happened to Iruka."

Iruka frowned as Kakashi spoke. "When Iruka first picked the child up, there was a moment in which I saw fear in his eyes, and at the same time, a wall of sand began to build around Iruka's feet, it looked like it was going to strike him. It suggests that he is carrying Shukaku, the Sand Raccoon. The Ichibi. The seal seems have integrated Shukaku's abilities which would otherwise harm him, into his system, however… he does seem to be suffering the insomnia, meaning that at some point in his life he was likely possessed."

"But," Iruka interrupted. "It seems it was fixed, even if temporarily. Shukaku did not come out the whole trip back, nor did anything weird happen. He _can_ sleep, but it looks as if maybe he chooses not to."

The Third nodded calmly. "Well, that will change."

"There's one last thing," Kakashi said. "There is no doubt. This is Gaara, the youngest of the Kazekage's children." _That_ didn't surprise the Third at all; he had long since figured it out… by the boy's eye structure alone.

The eyes could tell you many things

"He did say his name was Sabaku no Gaara."

_Sabaku no_? _Does he reject his last name at such a young age? _

_Or was he never given it?_

The old man turned, his white robe contrasting the black chair as he pressed his fingers together in contemplation. "He will sleep in the hospital tonight, and be attended. Tomorrow I will move him into his new home and get him supplies."

"Sir?" Iruka asked, stumped.

"If anyone can help Naruto… it'll be another Jinchuuriki, and maybe Naruto can help him. If there's nothing else, Iruka and Kakashi, could you please escort the child to the hospital?" Kakashi, face as impassive as always, nodded. He left the room, only to be followed by Iruka and the medical ninja. Twice in the past two days the Third Hokage had had to call those poor people into his building. They were probably sick of hearing him call.

* * *

Naruto woke up early the next morning. No school, so why was he up early?

Oh yeah, that knocking. The boy rubbed sleep from his eyes with his pajama-clad arm and stumbled from the bedroom to the connecting kitchen, accidentally falling over something he didn't see. Finally he came into a room with two chairs and the door of his apartment. "Hello?" he called through the door

"Hello, Naruto," Naruto frowned at the voice, expecting trouble. The Third.

He was about to get it… _bad._

Naruto opened the door, expecting a tongue lashing.

Thus he found the frown on his face turning to a look of confusion. "May we come in?"

Naruto moved aside as the old man entered, with a boy perhaps the age of his classmates trailing behind him. The boy was Naruto's height with red hair that seemed relatively kempt, his skin was pale but with a strange tinge to it, as if he had _never_ seen sunlight. He was wearing a pale green shirt and a pair of pants in a material and color Naruto had never seen anyone around here wearing.

"Hi," Naruto greeted, calmly, trying to take as much emotion from his voice as possible. That was the best way to deal with people that he had never met, that way when they turned out to be the kind of people Naruto would run from, it wasn't as much of a shock. Though, to his shock, the boy sunk back, but not in fear. He seemed just to be shy.

"Naruto, you know that we went to Sunagakure on a rescue mission, correct?" Naruto nodded, that was why Iruka-sensei had been gone. "Well, Gaara is from Sunaga, and he's going to be sharing this apartment with you," the man paused. "Because of space issues."

Naruto just _wasn't _old enough to catch the lie.

"Hi," Gaara managed, clutching the bear in his arms.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto," he introduced himself, allowing a bit of emotion—hope, unbeknownst to him—into his voice.

"Sabaku no Gaara," the boy answered, which made Naruto curious more than anything. Gaara seemed to sense this and buried his face against the bear. Very shy? Or _was_ it fear.

"Well," the Third said. "Naruto, I'll trust you to show Gaara around town." The old man paused, as if he was about to move to the door, and then crouched. "You two have a lot in common, I believe and Naruto… I'm trusting you to take care of Gaara."

Naruto frowned in confusion again. _Him_ take care of someone? Still, he nodded.

'Is there anything you need, Gaara?" the man asked. The redhead shook his head, and the Third bid them adieu before leaving, shutting the door behind him. Naruto was suddenly confused, not sure what to do.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"A little," Gaara admitted in barely more than a whisper, and Naruto walked over to the kitchen table where the two bowls sat, unwrapped them and proceeded to heat them up."

* * *

The mid-afternoon sunlight beamed down outside the door, just outside of the bounds of his apartment. "I-I…"

"What's wrong?" The blonde child asked, turning to his roommate.

"I'm not allowed out before the sun starts setting," Gaara said.

Naruto frowned. "Who said?"

"My dad, he's dead now though."

That didn't sound right to Naruto, why would anyone make someone stay in until the sun starts setting.

"Why aren't you?" he asked.

"Because," Gaara said, frowning now too, as if it should be obvious, clutching the bear as if it was his only tie to life. "I scare people."

Naruto frowned. He certainly knew that feeling, but he didn't understand… why would Gaara scare anyone? How? "You don't scare me," he challenged. "Plus, you're not in your town anymore. Things are different. Here the only person we really answer to is the Third, and he _told_ me to show you around."

Gaara looked uncomfortably around the apartment he had just begun to be able to relax in, then nodded. "A-Alright." Gaara blinked as his hand was seized forcefully and Naruto all but pulled him out of the apartment.

"Good," Naruto said, "you'll have fun!" In Naruto's other hand he held the two now empty ramen bowls. The afternoon passed relatively well, for once, Naruto was less concerned about not meeting the gaze, and thus look of dislike on the faces of all of the people of the village, and more worried about cheering up the boy beside him.

Though he did have to drag Gaara nearly _everywhere_, he knew they could have fun. But first he had to open up more. At least Naruto knew how to open up. Shikamaru had taught him that. It only took a while before his good mood got shattered. It had happened as they were walking up the street together. An older woman running a stand at the roadside spotted Gaara, looking tired, scared, and more than a little scrawny. "Hello there, sweetie," the woman said, offering the boy something Naruto couldn't spot.

Gaara, for his part, looked around as if the woman was speaking to someone else, and then—realizing this was not the case—turned very red, eyes wide in amazement. Naruto wanted to laugh. It was as if no one had ever been nice to the boy before. Then he remembered what Gaara had said and laughter was the farthest thing from his mind.

The redhead reached out shyly to accept whatever she offered him until he saw her face change. She had turned her gaze to Naruto, and, as if suddenly realizing who he was, had all but screeched, screaming for them to get away from her stand, the little hooligans, and who did they think they were bothering her while she worked. Naruto wasn't fooled, he saw the fear in her eyes, and Gaara's had suddenly gone dull and sad, so that he barely reacted when Naruto lead him away quickly. He just wanted out as fast as Naruto.

Naruto frowned as he though of a good place to bring Gaara, after a couple hours of pointless walking, and finally it hit him. So—Gaara still in tow silently clutching that bear of his—the two kids walked into Ichiraku's Ramen Shop, where Naruto happily presented the bowls to Ichiraku. Before either of them could say anything, a voice stopped them.

"Hey you," the voice spat roughly. "Get away from me, brat." The man on the stool beside him hastily motioned Naruto back, as if afraid he was diseased. A sudden loud thump on the table drew all their attention. Ayame had slammed a bowl down on the counter, so hard it had splashed and then tipped spilling incredibly hot soup on the man's pants. Over his howl of pain, Naruto heard her.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry," she cried, unconvincingly as the man stood up and raced from the shop. Gaara, for his part, had moved back form the man and was currently nearly huddled against one wall of the shop. Naruto frowned and stared at Ayame.

"You meant to do that," he said, stating the obvious.

"I have no clue what you mean," she replied, smiling happily and turning away form the children.

"Who's your friend Naruto-kun?"

"This is Gaara," Naruto said, attempting to lead the boy from his balled up position. "He's from Sunaga, and the Third asked me to show him around." He heard the pride in his own voice and didn't mind. He liked to think that someone could trust him. It felt good to be trusted. "Oh and thank you for the bowls of ramen you gave me."

"Don't mention it," Ichiraku said, turning away and setting another pot of soup to boil.

"I-it was very good," Naruto turned, hearing the first full statement from Gaara since they had left the apartment.

"I'm glad," Ayame replied, her long brown hair waving slightly as she turned back to begin chopping an onion, a smile fixed on her face. It was uncomfortable… but Naruto decided it was completely real. These people _really_ were being nice to them.

"Are you two hungry?" Naruto nodded, placing the last of his money on the counter and coaxing Gaara onto a stool beside him. Honestly, Gaara reminded him a bit of a girl in his class, a girl with dark, indigo hair named Hinata. She was really shy too, but never seemed to look right at Naruto, like she was scared of him on top of it. "No," Ichiraku stated without turning back around. "I was serious. Three years. I see no reason to take money from you. Now put it up." The man suddenly disappeared from sight as he crouched down to pull something off of a low—_too low_, Naruto decided, _it has to hurt_.—shelf.

"So what sounds good?" Ayame asked.

* * *


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.'

**Author's Note: **I had planned for this chapter to encompass Gaara's first day of school... but... other things got in the way! R&R mis amigos.

* * *

**Chapter four:**

* * *

Naruto turned as Gaara finished eating, one hand still clutching the bear. "So who's that?" Naruto asked. He knew some kids who had teddy bears named them… he'd never had one himself though.

"Daichi," Gaara replied shyly, as Naruto finished off his second bowl, feeling as if he'd overdone it.

"Arigato," Naruto called to the pair behind the counter, waving before turning to Gaara.

"Come back soon!" Ichiraku called with his customary smile, but perhaps one even more relaxed than Naruto had previously seen.

"Hai!" Naruto led Gaara from the shop happily noting that this time Gaara moved of his own free will without being dragged anywhere.

"C-could we go see the school?" Gaara asked. Good, he _was_ opening up.

But the school?

"Why?" Naruto asked. Who'd want to go see a school in the middle of their day off? The sun was starting to go down and it was beginning to get late. What could possibly be that interesting about a school?

"I-I've never been to one… and I get to start going tomorrow."

"Never been to a school?" The redhead shook his head, dazzling Naruto.

Maybe Naruto should've lived in Sunaga! He led him toward the school, abandoned and empty today, a tall building in the middle of a space unoccupied by the small shops. Naruto was not about to go into the gates of the school, not on a day when he had class off. However he did point to the window where their class would be held.

"Oh," Gaara said, then… "Why aren't you scared?"

"Scared of what? Class?" Naruto asked, looking confused.

"No… me."

Naruto thought for a moment. "Because I don't see a reason to be."

"Back home," Gaara said. "Everyone is scared of me," the redhead confided, drawing Daichi in closer and giving Naruto a confused gaze.

Naruto nodded. "That's how people here are with me. Iruka-sensei and the Third are okay though, so are the people who ran that shop. But they're… different somehow." There was silence as Naruto swallowed back a lump.

"So back home, everyone was scared of me, but here… no one is, not even you…" Gaara took a breath.

"But everyone here is scared of me… and since you're with me, you'll see people being like that a lot," he whispered, not wanting to show tears in front of Gaara. He wouldn't cry. He refused it. Gaara was looking away.

"That's alright," Gaara decided after moments of silence. "I'm not scared of you."

Naruto looked up, his blue eyes meeting Gaara's green for just a second, as a grin slid on his face. "Thanks!"

* * *

"That was it," the Third said to Iruka. Leaning back and puffing on his pipe. "That was what he needed to hear."

Iruka signed as he sat down. "Hokage-sama… I worry. They're both clueless now... but in the future…" Iruka didn't want to say what he thought might happen. It could be horrible… it could destroy both kids, and the village.

"We'll deal with that when it becomes a worry. For now… look at this." The image in the crystal ball had frozen, and Iruka peered into the depths. Naruto and Gaara were both smiling, even if meekly and even if they were looking as scrawny and tired as ever. _They might be alright after all,_ Iruka decided.

* * *

It was dark when the boys returned to the apartment, to find it changed. In the large front room which had once contained two chairs there now rested a bed against either wall of the room without a door. One, Naruto recognized as his own. The other, however, Naruto assumed was for Gaara. It was covered in light green sheets like the shirt the boy currently wore, and there was a dresser beside it with multiple drawers hanging open, full of clothing, pajamas folded neatly on top of it. Naruto was sure the chairs were now in front of the window in what had been his bedroom.

"Every now and then Hokage-sama has someone rearrange the place… he's running out of things to change about it, it's so small."

"Why are those there?" Gaara asked, pointing toward the dresser and the clothing within it.

Naruto frowned. "For you, silly."

"Why?"

"Because, you can't really go around naked can you?" Naruto walked over to his own dresser and dug out his pajamas. He was tired and had to at least pretend interest in school tomorrow. "You should change into your pajamas." Before he could get to the bathroom adjoining his old bedroom, Gaara's voice stopped him.

"Why?" That question was beginning to make Naruto's head ache.

"Because it's what people sleep in?"

"I don't."

The blonde tilted his head. "What do you sleep in then?"

"I don't." That too, was starting to get to him. "I don't… sleep." _Oh._ "Except once every couple of days I can't help it. But when I try to sleep, sometimes people hear this voice. Tousan says I'm not allowed to sleep at night."

"Voice?"

"It comes from here." Gaara's hand slid up to the place on the back of his head where it met his neck. "I don't know why. I don't know what it's saying either; it's always too quiet for anyone to hear."

"Well…" Naruto said. "You're not at home anymore, and a voice isn't going to scare me. People need to sleep, or they can't function right. That's what Iruka-sensei says." Naruto left the room to get changed.

Gaara glanced uncomfortably around the room and then grabbed the pajama's off of the top of the dresser—stretching more than a little—and quickly changed. He remembered try to sleep at some points in his life—sleep normally in a bed and not just wherever he could find that had no other people near him. He didn't remember what it felt like to fall asleep of one's own will and not of exhaustion.

Naruto returned a minute or so after he was done, and saw Gaara discovering the toothbrush and night cap on the dresser and motioned toward the bathroom. "There's a sink in there," he said, locking his front door and then wandering to his bed as Gaara frowned. He'd never had to brush his teeth before, nothing ever got on, them, he had overheard a doctor telling his father about it just weeks ago. But it was best to humor Naruto, Gaara decided. If he didn't, Naruto might grow tired of him quick, like Yashamaru had.

Gaara didn't want that. Naruto had been really nice to him today. He liked the other boy plenty; he'd never really felt this at ease before… was this… was Naruto….

He turned back in the doorway.

"Naruto?"

"Hmm?" Naruto asked as he laid down.

"Are we… friends?" There was silence as Naruto followed much the same course of thought as the end of Gaara's train.

"Yeah. I think so. You're my first."

"M-Me too." A pause. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Gaara." Naruto closed one eyes, leaving one propped open just in the slightest until he saw Gaara come back into the room and lay down in his own bed a moment later, after flicking off the lights.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Note: **I liked this chapter but I had to do some weapons research, and yeah.

* * *

**Chapter Five:**

* * *

"Alright class," Iruka said, his right arm flexing so that a dulled kunai flew from it, striking a bell hanging from one of the walls. His gaze slid to each of his two new students in turn. One was a girl with brown hair and distrusting brown eyes, eyes which currently bounced form Iruka… to the other new student with distrust turning to fear when they landed on the other student.

It was obvious to Iruka that this girl had some sort of history with Gaara. Or perhaps it was as simple as this: Gaara _was_ treated like Naruto in his own home town. Only perhaps it was worse. He couldn't say for sure. His eyes slid to Gaara himself, who was once again looking uncomfortable and had yet to part with that bear, much to the taunts of some of the boys—Sasuke and Kouta, mainly, though Kouta wasn't being quite as much of a jerk as Sasuke, and instead just giggling in the back with Kiba— and Yamanaka Ino. From others the glances were far more curious or —in the case of Haruno Sakura—sad.

Naruto was sitting beside Gaara, placing the redhead directly between he and Shikamaru, seemingly Naruto's only companion in the class. Even then, they were not close at all. Iruka had a distinct feeling that the only reason Chouji was sitting with Kouta and Kiba today instead of Shikamaru was because Naruto had asked the boy to sit with them.

Shikamaru was his prized pupil in academics and always had been. The only student who could possibly touch him in academics was Haruno Sakura. If Iruka could make a bet on which of the children was most likely to figure out the reason Naruto and even Gaara were as they were, it would be Shikamaru, especially because some of the village elders were beginning to mutter about sticking another person in the same apartment as _that boy._

Iruka waited for the class to quiet and spoke. "We have two new students to introduce themselves today. Please stand and introduce yourself," he paused. "You first," he indicated the girl.

She rose to her feet and spoke, clearly. "Watashi wa Moriki Rina." Just as abrubtly she returned to her seat, causing Iruka to let out a sigh. She obviously did not wish for discussion. Fine, that was alright. He turned and nodded at Gaara who remained sitting, looking flabbergasted, confused.

_He wants me to stand up in front of everyone?_

Gaara looked around for he from Naruto, who nodded encouragingly then to Shikamaru who was giving him a look as if trying to read something difficult, which only made Gaara more nervous. Finally he felt Naruto's hand briefly brush his back in a light pat and took a deep breath. "Watashi wa, Sabaku no Gaara."

The each person in the room—save for Uchiha Sasuke—gave a look to their neighbor, who most likely returned it. Iruka smiled encouragingly. "Go on."

_Go on? That was all _she_ said. _

Still… he didn't want to make his teacher angry on day one. "I-I'm from Sunagakure and…" he couldn't think of what to say, he didn't understand these people, what interested them, what they'd care to hear or why they'd care to hear ANYTHING. Blushing red enough to match his hair, he slid back into his seat after failing for several seconds to find anything to say.

"Alright," Iruka said. "Thank you both."

He turned to his board and slammed the heel of his palm into the bottom, allowing it to rotate to the other side. "Over the next few weeks we're going to be reviewing to try to catch our new students up. Meaning we take it from the beginning. We'll start with a simple course on weapon recognition; today we're going to study these five types of weapons and their subtypes."

The class shifted modes almost immediately to restless. Iruka very nearly groaned. Oh he just didn't like how this was going. He could almost feel the shift. Naruto for one was looking off in the direction of Iruka but obviously spacing out. Kiba had his hands under the table and Iruka had figured out by using basic information gathering jutsu in the past that Kiba was running through all of the hand seals, it seemed to be his escape from reality, almost an unconscious habit, he assumed.

Hinata stared at him too, though he could never tell when a Hyuuga was spacing or not, and she tended to listen. Iruka frowned as similar things were happening all over the room, except for Gaara. Little Gaara sat in his chair, transfixed on Iruka, waiting for his next word. Here was a student who cared to learn.

He could see it in his gaze. It was similar to the gaze he saw on Sasuke. Sasuke was determined. Gaara was transfixed. Shikamaru learned by pure habit. Iruka pointed to the first weapon hanging from the board. "What is this?"

There was Sakura's hand, but he stopped, as Gaara's hand slowly started to raise.

"Go on?"

"That's… a Kunai." Gaara whispered, remembering the feel of the kunai in his hands as he attempted to bypass the sand, to understand pain. Yashamaru's words, his teaching. He shuddered and Iruka could see him withdraw into himself. He tried to think of a way to pull the boy out of whatever was happening, but before he could, Gaara had returned to clutching the bear as if his life depended on it, though he was still watching Iruka with interest.

"Correct, good job, Gaara." He gestured to the next weapon and called on Sakura.

"It's a Windmill Shuriken, a weapon made in Konoha and Amigakure mainly, though favored by select clans in other villages." The girl leaned back in her seat, as if waiting impatiently for his response.

"Correct." He paused. "It also has been gaining favoritism in Takigakure lately."

He pointed to the next and waited. Sasuke and Shikamaru sat, for almost an indeterminable amount of time as Iruka looked around the classroom, waiting for someone else to answer. Predictably, about thirty-five seconds after he asked, Shikamaru and Sasuke both gave sighs of annoyance and raise their hands. He gestured to Shikamaru.

"Go on," he replied, leaning against his desk. The boy attempted to positively glare him to death for a pair of seconds before Shikamaru answered, standing and stretching his upper body, which currently was covered a mesh shirt. It was a warm part of the summer and many students dressed that way if they weren't self-conscious.

"It's a standard Four-point Star Shuriken. It's best used for long distance combat in desperate situations or ambushes." Shikamaru paused, feeling quite like he had forgotten something. His hands came together in that odd pose that Iruka had never understood, drawing Gaara's fascination as much as Iruka's. "According to you, it is also an inefficient but viable melee enhancement."

Iruka nodded in amazement. Some days he thought Shikamaru couldn't be a child of four. He just ABSORBED information even when he didn't want to. Shikamaru dropped back into his seat, frowning with his arms crossed in front of him. "Come on guys, next!"

Kouta answered next, followed by Ino and Sasuke. They went on and on until the last student and last weapon to be identified stood out. "Naruto, name this weapon for me," Iruka said, plucking it off of the board and approaching the desk where Naruto sat, placing it on the desk in front of him.

This was quite possibly the worst weapon Naruto could have gotten. A rarely used weapon only a handful of ninja used. A Trench Knife. In fact the only non-genin Trench Knife user Iruka could recall off the top of his head was Asuma, whose weapon this was. Lots of people tried to use them as genin, but found it just wasn't for them.

Naruto frowned at the weapon, knowing Iruka had taught it to him once over a bowl of ramen. He had forgotten. Naruto sat that way for several seconds before he shrugged. "I don't know."

Shikamaru palmed his forehead in exasperation and Sakura mumbled "Stupid," receiving an elbow from Ami for her troubles.

"I see," Iruka said with a twinge of disappointment. He picked the weapon up and opened his mouth, as if to explain what it was.

Then an idea came to his mind.

This _was_ Asuma's day off….

He put the weapon on his desk and ignored it now. Quietly he began a lecture on safety when holding kunai that lasted more than an hour and a half. It was perhaps the best tactic he could have used. The students were listening now, if for no other reason than to make sure they didn't fall asleep. After the lecture he stood from his desk and gazed at each and every face in the room, most of them seemed to be struggling to remain still. Kiba was still running handseals and now Kouta seemed jittery and Chouji's eyes kept shifting to the paper bag on the corner of his desk.

Iruka knew his schedule, he was to begin a similar lecture on the Windmill Shuriken. Schedules were made to be broken? Did that work? Maybe not, but Iruka followed that maxim nonetheless.

Recess.

By the time he had returned to his desk only Naruto and Gaara remained as Naruto tried to get Gaara to leave the room with him. He sat down and pulled out a scroll and ink, scribbing a message quickly.

_Asuma, _

_This is Naruto, I have sent him to return your Trench Knife and I would request you explain to him what this weapon is, you need not go into too much detail._

_Iruka_

Wrapping the scroll around the handle of the weapon from earlier, he sat this down on his desk where it would sit until the end of the day. He stood and sighed, cricking his neck. It was time to go outside.

* * *

Naruto sighed as he walked down the center of the playground. Gaara was walking beside him by habit, clutching Daichi. Naruto was looking determinedly at the sky and not at anyone else. He was not heading for the gate today, but for the sandbox. A relatively empty part of the playground, he could usually sit by himself and think. On hot days like today the sand absorbed the warmth of the sun and felt amazing to Naruto as he lay in it.

When they arrived at the box, Naruto took a sitting position before collapsing back, lying in the sand. Gaara was looking around curiously. Much to the redheads distress he recognized the scene around him. Everyone was grouped off, and shooting looks his way that plainly said they hoped he did not come over, except that is for Shikamaru and Hinata who had wandered out of sight immediately.

It only took Gaara a moment to realize they were all looking at Naruto. After a few more moments of standing awkwardly, Gaara joined Naruto. The sand welcomed Gaara much as it did Naruto, comfortingly drawing him in, and the sand around his body which naturally covered every inch of him and whose excess usually hid beneath his shirt making several protective layers slid free and into the sand around him, forming something akin to a cushion around both Naruto and Gaara. Naruto noticed this, eyes widening.

Gaara expected a look of fear or worse, but then… "Wow, that's so cool!"

"The sand… it likes to help me. I've always got sand, it covers me like a mask for my whole body. I don't make it… I mean, sometimes it will do stuff for me if I ask it, but…when it's around other sand weird things happen sometimes." He shrugged, not knowing how to explain. What people feared the smallest demonstration of back home, Naruto thought was a good thing. It was strange, but it was also comforting. Gaara felt very tired suddenly. The sleep he had had last night had done something to his body. It wanted more. It was recess and he was safe… he was safe here. Naruto was his friend. He didn't really have a reason to guard against it, so he rather quickly fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Note: **On the Fourth of July I turned 18. So that's my only excuse for the wait. Depression and happiness took up my time fighting each other.

* * *

**Chapter Six:**

* * *

"Wake up!" Naruto frowned up at Shikamaru. "He's out cold, Naruto."

"No really?" The problem was, the sand in the box had somehow taken an adhesive property. Naruto couldn't move. "He said the sand he carries around does stuff of its own will."

"Weird," Shikamaru said, frowning. "Maybe it's his chakra." Naruto watched as Shikamaru's face suddenly changed, unable to know that Shikamaru was recalling a statement Iruka had made about using chakra to disrupt chakra. "You remember how sensei taught us to jump higher using our chakra right?"

Naruto nodded. He'd been good at that. Discharging chakra through your feet as you jump. "Maybe if I do something similar I can disrupt this chakra and you can get out." Naruto wasn't sure he entirely understood, but nodded. And so Shikamaru did something Naruto counted as stupid. He walked right into the sand.

"Wait!"

"Too late," Shikamaru said, forming the Tiger seal and beginning to gather chakra. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

"Three… two… one!" A flash of blue ran over the sand box and for the briefest of moments Naruto was free and then… nothing. Gaara jerked in his sleep.

"Wow… that was fast." Shikamaru frowned at him.

"Be ready this time! Three…"

Naruto focused, trying to gather chakra at his hands and feet.

"Two."

He licked his lips as he pushed chakra into them, too much.

"One!" He and Shikamaru discharged chakra in unison, and Naruto thrust himself up, jumping outside of the sandbox on chakra alone. His hope had been to get such height that he could land safely on his feet, and look pretty cool doing it. He hit the ground hard, feet first, and went down, seizing his ankle in pain.

"Naruto," someone called from across the playground. Naruto couldn't bring himself to look through the pain. Another flash of blue indicated Shikamaru had freed himself from the sand, and there was a noise akin to a scream which Naruto knew to be Gaara's.

"Naruto," Iruka called, getting closer now. "What's wrong?"

"He hurt his ankle," Shikamaru said. "Rolled it."

Iruka frowned. "Shikamaru, go get some ice from the nurse." Gaara managed to stand, scaring Iruka who hadn't known Gaara was there. The redhead gazed uneasily at the scene before him, scared for Naruto. He had, after all, never known pain.

"Wh-what happened?"

"I'll explain on the way to get Naruto some ice," Shikamaru said, leading Gaara away by the arm. Gaara looked at Shikamaru, and despite the worry on the boy's face, he realized there was nothing he would have naturally seen at home. Naruto was right. No one here reacted badly to him. Once out of earshot of Iruka, Shikamaru started speaking. "Your sand wouldn't let go of Naruto, so Naruto and I did something to try to get him free, and he overdid it. He's always showing off." _Either that or he's stupid,_ Shikamaru thought.

"M-My sand?" Gaara stuttered, as if nervous. Shikamaru nodded. "Not again…"

"This has happened before?" Shikamaru asked, stopping inside the door to the school and turning on Gaara.

"Y-yes," Gaara admitted, under the searching gaze. Shikamaru frowned slightly.

"It's really strong, whatever it is," Shikamaru said, continuing to walk, this time not dragging Gaara, who stood in the doorway, confused. "You coming?"

And lo and behold, no one was running from him. Gaara just didn't understand. Shikamaru turned back. "It's not really your fault you know. You can't control it, right? Naruto's the one who tried to show off."

_It's not my fault?_

It felt like it was.

* * *

Naruto leaned down and removed the icepack from his ankle as the nurse brought her hands together. A bright green chakra formed around them and she brought them to the ankle. The first touch sent a bolt of pain up his leg and the second a wash of relief, the pain being finally, mercifully removed. When he looked up from the infirmary's bed, he noticed the uneasy stare that Gaara had fixed on a ceiling tile above him.

"Something wrong?" Naruto asked, confused.

"I'm sorry, it does this sort of thing all the time," Gaara started, sounding as if near tears. "I'm such a freak." Shikamaru, across the room, rolled his eyes and stood as tears began to form in the corners of Gaara's large green eyes.

"It wasn't your fault," Naruto found himself saying in time with Shikamaru. "It's not like you can control it."

"You s-still want to be my friend then?" Gaara managed, calming down.

"On one condition:" Gaara looked up, nervously. "Next time we lay in the grass," Naruto finished, with a cocky grin.

"Showoff," scoffed Shikamaru, brushing an ebon lock behind his ear. He needed to start putting it up. "I'm going to get back to class, and you two should too."

"No," the nurse said, examining the ankle of Naruto. "They've been excused for the rest of the day, but your sensei says to take this to the address on the paper." She turned to a shelf and rifled around the objects briefly before coming up with the weapon that Iruka had asked Naruto to identify. "He says it's the man who it belongs to."

Naruto nodded. Of course it was a bother, but Iruka-sensei was one of those people that he had to obey, because he was one of those people Naruto wasn't sure he could do without.

* * *

The warmth of the sun as it beat down upon them was helpful to Gaara, a calm, reassuring hand on his shoulder in this time of confusion. What he really didn't understand is that Naruto seemed fine. He understood that physically Naruto had been healed, but why wasn't he angry, or sad, or mad? Why instead did he continue to walk along side Gaara, talking as if nothing was wrong. Though, it was undeniable Naruto was a _little_ more quiet than usual. Maybe it was nerves. Gaara was nervous himself to meet this man Iruka-sensei was sending them to see.

The house he lived in was in all actuality a large compound. It bore a symbol on it, one that Naruto recognized from his time spent with the Third. This man was from the Third Hokage's family, as his front door bore the Sarutobi family crest. "He's related to Hokage-sama," Naruto mused out loud, not explaining how he knew it. Gaara, for his part, didn't ask, just waited for Naruto to finish ascending the stairs. It took several seconds but he did, knocking loudly.

The man opened the door, and Naruto raised his eyes. He recognized the man from the village, he was a Jounin, one of those people who looked straight through him as if he didn't exist. Even now, with a moment of shock to see Naruto on his doorstep, this man seemed blank. "Hello," Asuma greeted.

"Iruka-sensei said to give you this," Naruto replied, lowering his head from the blank stare, offering the weapon and the note attached. Though Naruto couldn't see it—and neither could Gaara, who was gazing worriedly at Naruto—Asuma took a moment to read the note before sighing.

"Come in, you two," Naruto looked up, eyes widening only slightly. The man wasn't telling them to get off his property or shutting the door in their faces. This was different. Asuma shifted his cigarette into another corner of his mouth. "Sorry the place is a mess," he said, suddenly amiable. "I expected no company."

The house was… spotless. Naruto gaped openly around the room, confused.

"Sarcasm," a voice chided Naruto. Naruto turned looking down at the man on Asuma's couch. Iruka. He was lying back with a cup of tea in one hand, and beside him was a woman who Naruto didn't recognize. She had red eyes which pierced him to his core. And he liked her almost immediately. She seemed self-confident and sure and wise. She also had all the look of someone who had just gotten done doing something. Had he been older he would have realized the woman had probably been the only reason the room they stood in was clean.

Iruka leaned forward. "I got a substitute for the rest of the day, they owe me a day off. I wanted to speak to you two after Asuma got done with you."

"G-Got done with him?" Gaara asked, sounding nervous.


End file.
